Confessions of a Juvenile Delinquent
by dreams-and-schemes86
Summary: Everyone has a rep. Mine just happens to be "Teenage Delinquent". And, frankly, I'm okay with that. But turns out I get another chance. I could change everything. Flip it upside down. But will I? That, my friends, is the magic question. Rated T. No Wings. FAX! Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN MR
1. Chapter 1

**Hey guys! So…new story. Trying it out. Yeah. Enjoy.**

**Disclaimer: Nope. Story line, though. So I do own something! **

**Note: Please don't judge my court room knowledge. (hahahaha…judge..court room? Yeah never mind) Just guessing. And please forgive any grammar and spelling mistakes. THANK YOU! **

**Prologue**

My life is interesting.

Okay, fine, so maybe "interesting" is too general of a term. Um…different. Different is a good word. Yes. My life is different. This can be taken as a good or bad thing. But…seeing as you don't know ANYTHING about me, you can't make that judgment yet. Your view on things will change depending on how you look. If you look in or out. If you dwell on past doings or the future. If you have faith or don't give a rip. Get it?

It's all in your perception of things.

**Court, Lies & Doodling**

"Maximum Ride would you _please _join us in the court room?"

I looked up from my doodling and saw Judge Ramsey eying me critically.

Shifting my weight, I looked back down at my rainbow and concentrated on making clouds. "With all due respect, Your Honor…I have a lawyer. Talk to him."

I could practically feel Jeb tense all the way from across the room.

Judge Ramsey leaned forward menacingly. "Miss Ride, considering this is your _third offense_;I suggest you make a few friends."

"Oh, I would, Your Honor. But see, the thing is…I'm in a court room. That makes it a little difficult, don't you think? You know, considering almost everyone present is accusing me of something or another."

Judge Ramsey rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Miss Ride, please take your place at the accused. Miss Hibeil, would you make your case?"

"Certainly, Your Honor," she replied primly after I had taken my spot.

"Your Honor, my client has made several complaints against Maximum Ride over the years, the most recent one being theft on school grounds, which, in fact, is why we are here today. This, of course, was preceded by a number of other offenses, including a previous theft and a handful of fights, one of which placed an innocent boy into home care for a month. Maximum Ride has supposedly attended anger management courses at the local rehab center but several of the counselors have recently admitted that the convict has been skipping. This, again, scores a point against her, as that was part of her punishment last year…"

I stared at Miss Hibeil as she made her case. In all honesty and in the simplest terms ever…it sucked. She was missing some very, very vital details.

"Um," I said, raising my hand, interrupting her.

She stopped and glared at me.

"Yes, Miss Ride?" The Judge asked, tiredly. "Would you like to say something?"

"Yes, actually, I would. Thank you," I replied curtly. "Sorry for interrupting, lady," I apologized. "Seriously. You sounded very smart." I assured her. "But that whole "innocent boy" thing? Yeah, no. He threatened to harm my little brother. Was I supposed to just let that happen?"

"A mature girl, Maximum, would have taken the case to the school," she answered.

I snorted. "Yeah, because they actually care," I replied harshly. "Listen, Miss Heibel," I said, leaning forward. "I may be a first class juvenile delinquent but I get how things work at that school. This guy, Sam Vernes? Yeah, son of Bob Vernes, biggest donator Green High has ever seen. Think about it, lady. If the school "took care of Sam Vernes", two million dollars would be gone."

"The school always puts students, first," she sniffed haughtily. "How dare you question it, Miss Ride."

"Trust me, Miss Hibeil, if that school put students first, I wouldn't be here right now."

"Order in the court!" Judge Ramsey exclaimed. "Miss Hibeil, you may take your seat. Mr. Batchelder, if you would."

Jeb nodded curtly and stood up. "Your Honor, considering Miss Ride's alibi states that she was in Raleigh when this theft occurred, there is no possible way she could have done what Green High is accusing her of. Three witnesses state this same fact."

"Those three witnesses, Mr. Batchelder are also teenage delinquents. What makes you think that they are reliable sources? And may you be reminded that one of Miss Ride's dearly beloved friends is the son of a school janitor? How easy would it be for him to sneak the key off his father?"

"Miss Hibeil, please let Mr. Batchelder continue his case."

"Judge Ramsey, to automatically assume that Miss Ride did this, just because she has a colorful history is presumptuous, unfair and downright wrong. And if the only evidence Miss Hebeil has is a fingerprint scan and a blurry video I believe we have ourselves a closed case."

"Perhaps, Mr. Batchelder. Perhaps," Miss Hibeil announced. "But luck has it that I finally got a hold of Miss Ride's father in Raleigh and he confirmed that he has not seen Maximum Ride in three plus years."

And that, my friends, is how this all started.


	2. My Baby, My Mom & My Friend

**Hey guys! Thanks for all the reviews! You guys are AWESOME! This is a little bit longer so YAY! **

**Enjoy ~ **

My Baby, My Mom & My Friend

"For God's sake, Max. Seriously?"

I waited as my brother vented out all his frustration. In other words, he exhausted every single swear word he knew.

"No Ari, I'm lying," I scoffed. "Duh. Because I make this stuff up _for fun._"

"Not funny, Max. Not funny at all."

I sighed and leaned against the cold hard wall. I only had three minutes.

"So what are your consequences?"

"Well…I'm not going to another juvenile center."

"Well good for you, Max," he replied, sarcastically. "Now what is it?"

"They're actually- letting me off easy."

"I don't believe you."

"It's true," I persisted. "The court thinks mom might be the reason behind all my…problems."

"And?"

"They—they think it would be a good idea to try the foster care system."

"FOSTER CARE SYSTEM? What the hell, Max!"

Cringing, I pulled the phone away from my ear. "Mom…mom just fell through." My voice cracked and I quickly cleared my throat. "Yesterday. Police caught her with a new supply. Social security got involved and ugh…it's just a mess. But I guess it's perfect timing, huh?"

"Ari?" I asked, making sure he was still there.

I heard him clear his throat. "I guess it's not that big of a surprise now is it?" he asked, harshly.

I bit my lip. "No…I guess not."

"Where's Gazzy?"

"He's—he's staying with Harlow. For now. We're going to get a home together though. Jeb promised. But, you see…I used to know this famous singer. And I was hoping he might let us hang out for a while."

He was silent for so long I began to think he had hung up. "Max—Max you know I can't do that. I just made it big."

I bit my lip and cursed the tears that smarted my eyes. "Yeah. Yeah, I get it, Ari. See ya."

"Wait, Max—"

I hung up and inhaled deeply.

"Max?" Jeb asked, peeking into the room. "Time's up. And someone's here to see you."

The door opened up a little wider and suddenly everything was better.

"Maxie!" Gazzy yelled, waddling towards me on his chubby two year old legs.

Bending down, I waited as he came running towards me. "Oh, Gazzy," I whispered, picking him up and squishing him into a big bear hug. "I missed you, baby."

"Go bye-bye?" he asked pointing to the door, his big blue eyes wide and bright.

"Oh, honey," I whispered, ruffling the little bit of hair he had. "Soon, okay? Is Lowy here? Hm? Did she come visit me too?"

He nodded and told me in all seriousness, "No."

Yeah, we needed to work on his yes/no skills.

"Let's go see, okay?" I asked, propping him onto my hip.

We walked into the waiting room of the jail house where Harlow and Jeb were seated deep in discussion.

They both looked up when we walked in.

"Max," Harlow exclaimed and she rushed over to wrap Gazzy and me into a big bear hug.

"Thanks for watching him," I said.

"Oh, no problem, dear. Wasn't a thing."

Her sweet southern accent was soothing and sincere. She was, by far, the best second mom ever.

"Well, I've spoken to the foster care system, Max," Jeb told me, shuffling some papers together.

"We're together, right?" I asked.

"I took care of everything," he assured me. "You, Gazzy and Harlow will spend the night at your house and get everything packed. You will be on your way tomorrow morning."

I nodded and gave Gazzy a peck on the cheek.

"Give Gazzy to Harlow, Max," Jeb told me. "We have some things to discuss."

Harlow gave me an encouraging smile and took Gazzy into her arms.

"Go on, sugar. We'll meet you at the house."

I nodded and followed Jeb out the door.

"See ya, Bob," I murmured to the front desk guy.

Yep. We're friends.

"See ya, Max. You're a good kid, you know that? I have a feeling you're gonna do something great someday."

The big guy winked, his brown skin wrinkled with smile lines.

I managed a small smile. "Thanks, Bob."

Jeb and I walked through the doors and started for the car. "Hungry?" Jeb asked, unlocking the doors to his Cadillac.

"I've only been in a court room all day," I muttered, getting buckled.

He sighed and started the engine. "What about Redstone?"

I didn't respond.

"Okay, then," he muttered, backing out of the parking space. "Did you get a hold of Ari?"

"Yes."

"What he say?"

"Nothing really. I told him about foster care."

"And?"

"And nothing."

"Come on, Max—"

"It was nothing okay?" I snapped. "He doesn't care."

"Max, he's your brother. Of course he cares."

"Why do you think he left, Jeb? He couldn't WAIT to get away from mom. He couldn't WAIT to get away from Gazzy and I. We wreck his perfect plans."

"Don't be so unreasonable, Max."

"I'm not being unreasonable," I muttered.

"Yes, you are."

I flipped him the bird.

He sighed but got the hint.

We rode in silence for about five minutes before he spoke again.

"We're going to visit your mom after dinner," he announced.

"No."

"Yes."

"_No._"

"Max, you can't—"

"Just ignore her? Watch me."

"Max," he began. "Your mother…you have to understand where she's coming from."

"Frankly Jeb, I don't really care."

"Your grandmother was a crack addict. Your grandfather was abusive. Your mother had Ari when she was fifteen. You when she was seventeen. She dropped out of school after tenth grade. Her upbringing hasn't been very…enlightening.

"Are you saying that's an excuse?" I demanded.

"No," he said patiently. "I'm saying it's harder for her."

"Yeah, well try being me," I shot back. "I became a mother when I was fourteen years old. I got a freaking _night job _when I turned fifteen. I started paying the _bills _when I was twelve."

"I'm not saying it's been easy on you, Max. But I'm hoping that will change with this new family. Hopefully you'll get a break."

"Maybe," I grumbled.

He pulled into the parking lot and turned off the car but I didn't move.

"Can I make some calls?" I asked.

He glanced at me suspiciously.

See? _This _is why you don't break the law. Nobody ever_ trusts_ you. It's so frustrating!

He handed me his droid. "Five minutes, okay? I'll get us a table."

The door slammed shut and I dialed Ratchet.

"Yo, Maxie! What up? Maya, Holden and I have been waiting for HOURS! What's the verdict?"

"Hey, Ratchet. About that…"

"You're screwed aren't you? Totally screwed. See I _told _you it wasn't a good idea."

I rolled my eyes. In truth, he did. But he also supplied the key…so you can go both ways.

"No," I answered hotly. "Well, sort of. Ugh…mom and the fuzz had a little show down."

"No crap. Really?"

"Yeah. She's in jail right now, waiting for her court date."

He whistled. "Jeez, I'm sorry, Max. Virtual hug, right through this phone."

I cracked a small smile. "Thanks, Ratchet."

"No problem. So how's my little blue dude? Holding in there?"

I grinned. That was Gazzy's nickname. As crazy as it may sound, Ratchet is kind of Gazzy's father figure. Gazzy adores him so it works out pretty nicely.

"He's good. Harlow, being the angel she is, took him in. Which is another reason why I am calling you…I'm leaving."

"Leaving? Where?"

"Uh…to a foster family."

"What? Why?"

"They—the court thinks it would be good for me to get away."

He was silent. "When ya leaving?"

I bit my lip. "Tomorrow morning."

"Tomorrow morning?!" He yelled.

"Yeah…I'm sorry, Ratchet."

"Hey…hey no big deal. No. It'll be cool. You have my email. We'll keep in touch."

I took a deep breath to steady my voice. "Why don't you come over tomorrow? Give me a little goodbye party."

"Sure thing, Max. I'll be over around seven, sound good?"

"Perfect," I replied. "Thanks, Ratchet."

"Later, Maxie!"

I clicked the end button and got out of the car.

My life sucked, that was for sure. But at least I wasn't starving.

There's an up for every down I guess.

**REVIEW PLEASE! IT WOULD MEAN A LOT TO ME! **

**Peace out ~**

**d-and-s86**


	3. Mistakes, Rage & Promises

**Hey guys. I updated! How cool am I? **

**I don't own MR, I DO own the storyline and I'm sorry for any mistakes. **

**Enjoy. **

Mistakes, Rage and Promises

I walked into the prison with my gut clenching and my body, tense. This was the third time I had been in the state prison. The third time I had seen Mom in an orange jumpsuit. The third time that she would look me in the eyes, say sorry and ask me to forgive her.

"I'll be waiting out here," Jeb said, standing by the guest area. "You've got about twenty minutes to talk with her."

I rolled my eyes. Yeah, right. I would need two minutes to get my point across.

I walked towards the phone booth area. It was pretty busy. About ten people were talking to their "loved ones" who had "made mistakes".

That's where my mother was different. It was never, ever, EVER a mistake.

She was seated at the very last booth and looked tired, worn and ugly as always.

Numbly, I picked up the phone.

"Max," she breathed, touching the glass that separated us.

I swallowed hard. _You will not blow up, Maximum Ride. You WILL NOT. _

"Guess you really did it this time, huh," I murmured.

"Oh, Maxie," she whispered. "I wanted to change you know I did."

I bit my tongue.

"How's little Gazzy doing?" she asked, silently begging me to become the trusting daughter I had stopped being so long ago.

My mother became a grandma at age thirty-one. Who else can claim that, huh? At first, she helped. I'd go to school during the day and she'd babysit him. I thought he was fine. Then I came home one day and saw her smoking pot right in the living room and Gazzy, playing with the little bag that had contained it.

"So now you're interesting in becoming a caring grandmother?" I asked coldly. "How completely unbelievable considering you almost let him die."

"Max…"

"No," I snapped. "I don't want to hear it."

She closed her mouth quietly.

"How long are you in here for?" I asked tightly.

"I don't know," she whispered.

"Well I hope that it is for a very, very, VERY long time."

Her eyes filled with tears.

I stared her down. "And I hope that you feel like crap every single solitary day you spend in that cell. I hope you look at that calendar and feel sorry for the hell you put me, Gazzy and Ari through. And I hope you have a sense of peace when it comes to Gazzy because I assure you I will never, EVER make screw up my life the way you have."

I slammed the phone onto the hook and stormed off towards the entrance.

I never wanted to see her again.

~3~

"Hey…" I heard a voice say, knocking on the door.

I buried my head deeper into my pillow.

I had spent the night packing my things. Harlow packed for Gazzy, promising me that she had everything under control.

"Just relax hon. Don't worry about a thing," she had said.

I sighed.

Ratchet knocked again before slowly opening the door, stepping in and closing it again.

"Jeb's here," he announced, walking to my bed.

I shrugged. "So?"

He shrugged back and situated himself on the bed. "Thought you'd like to know," he murmured, his brown eyes full of concern.

I turned my head away from him. How could I leave my best friend? "Why did I ever agree to this?"

I felt him smooth some hair away from my face and neck.

A sob caught in the back of my throat.

"Hey, it's not like you're leaving for good, you know? I could come visit. You have an email. I got a car. I'll come pick you up some time."

I turned my head back. "Promise?"

He nodded. "Promise."

**Sorry it's short. Review, please? Cuz I LUUUUV you? In a totally non creepyish way? Besides, things are gonna get interesting soon! I WANNA WRITE!**


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